Plans to modernise an ageing housing complex in Swansea are moving forward in a bid to improve living standards for hundreds of tenants.

Swansea Labour is in full support of the move that sees Heol Emrys and Tudno Place in the Penlan community of Swansea getting earmarked for redevelopment.

Swansea Council is in the early stages of developing a scheme as part of wider aims of meeting the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS).

In the summer, residents were informed of the redevelopment plans. Now the Council has enlisted the help of survey teams to carry out a series of site visits where ground investigations and photos of the site will be completed.

The work will help inform a masterplan which the Council plans to put out to tender later this year.

Labour councillor Andrea Lewis, Cabinet Member for Homes and Energy, said: “The site is long overdue for a modernisation plan which will provide tenants with good quality, safe housing.

“We are in the early stages of looking at what we could do at the location. Residents and local Ward Councillors will play their part in deciding what happens and we will be making sure they are involved throughout the process.

“Once we have completed the surveys of the site we will be in a better position to move to the next stage of drawing up a masterplan – this could include refurbishing existing homes or even part demolition of the site to create new homes.”

The plans follow on from the recent completion of new council homes at Colliers Way near Blaenymaes. Sixteen new and innovative ‘passivhaus’ homes were built at the site and the Council is now looking at the development of a second phase.

New homes are also planned for a site at Parc Y Helyg, Birchgrove after a £2.8m scheme was approved in the summer.

Cllr Lewis added: “The investment in new and existing council homes in Swansea is something we are committed to, enabling us to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.

“Residents living in council homes in our city deserve good quality homes which make use of modern energy efficient technology.”